Archives for Library News

December Middle Grade Pick of the Month

December Middle Grade Pick of the Month

Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook June Yang, her sister, and her mother have been evicted from their apartment and landed in Huey House, a homeless shelter. She’s ashamed of their new circumstances – until she begins to make friends, especially with longtime Huey House resident Tyrell. Tyrell helps June learn the ins-and-outs of the House, while June gets Tyrell
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December 21, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: middle grade, middle grade fiction, Middle Grade Pick of the Month, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Your Voice Heard: LGBTQ+ Podcasting & Radio

Your Voice Heard: LGBTQ+ Podcasting & Radio

Your Voice Heard: LGBTQ+ Podcasting & Radio Teens Thursday, 6:00 p.m. – January 12 VIRTUAL Registration required – REGISTER HERE. Learn how industry quality radio, podcasts, and longer form journalism are made with Marc Sophos from Outcasting! Outcasting is a series of public radio programs by LGBTQ+ youth and their allies for the general public with a national reach of 200 radio stations. This program is offered in conjunction with the Rye Free Reading Room and other WLS libraries.
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December 21, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Journalism, LGBTQ+, LGBTQ+ events in White Plains, podcasting, podcasts, radio, radio journalism, teen events, and Teen events in White Plains.

Dragons & the Ice Sorceress

Dragons & the Ice Sorceress

Talewise presents: Dragons & the Ice Sorceress Saturday, January 21 at 1:00 p.m. PreK – Grade 5 Library Auditorium Join Talewise on a quest to discover the ‘coolest’ thing in science: DRY ICE!  Volunteers from the audience will help conduct several science experiments as we explore the wondrous effects of dry ice! The science experiments are tied together by a fun, interactive tale called “Dragons & The Ice Sorceress.” The entire audience will help the performer tell the story — you’ll even get to decide what happens next! Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind learning adventure featuring stories and the science of
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December 21, 2022 7:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children, children's events, performances, programs, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, STEM, STEM learning, and Talewise.

Meet Donna Gehlmann

Meet Donna Gehlmann

Please join me in welcoming our newest staff member, Youth Services Librarian Donna Gehlmann. What interested you in becoming a librarian? I have always loved books and reading. Going to our public library as a child with my mom and sister is a happy memory for me. I have volunteered at my son's school (in the libraries) and seeing the joy on all the children's faces when they come to the library has left an impression on me! Why did you decide you wanted to work with youth? I was a 2nd grade aide for three years and loved being
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December 20, 2022 3:52 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Donna Gehlmann, library staff, Meet the Staff, and staff interview.

What’s New in the Edge: December 2022

What’s New in the Edge: December 2022

As the end of the year approaches, I like to share the books in our YA fiction collection that have been most popular during the year. I've gathered the top ten most popular books in our collection that were published in 2022. After that, you'll see a few older titles that were also very popular among White Plains readers this year. YA Fiction's most popular titles published in 2022: Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber Grades 9 and up Library Catalog / Libby “Wren Greenrock's parents were the king and queen of Eana before they were murdered. While
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December 20, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: A fiction, new books, new in the Edge, staff picks, staff recommendations, and YA literature.

1/19/23 Storytime: Wolf Moon & Wolf Conservation

1/19/23 Storytime: Wolf Moon & Wolf Conservation

Storytime & Author Visit: Wolf Moon & Wolf Conservation Children, Families Thursday, 7:00 p.m. – January 19 Celebrate the Wolf Moon (January's Full Moon on 1/21) and learn about wolf conservation efforts with a presentation and storytime from authors, and wolf activists, Lois Kral and Leokadia George. Written to introduce young children to the joy of learning about wolves, wolf conservation and saving critically endangered species, Kral’s Lessons Learned From Atka and George’s Trumpet the Miracle Wolf Pup are based on two wolves who called the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem their home. Stop in the Trove to pick
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December 19, 2022 9:25 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: Leokadia George, Lois Kral, storytime, Wolf Conservation Center, wolf moon, and wolves.

January Tweens Talk Banned Books

January Tweens Talk Banned Books

January Tweens Talk Banned Books Grades 4-6 January 19th at 4:30-6:00 p.m. Virtual Registration required. Register here. Note: All of our youth-focused virtual programs require a registered Zoom account to attend. Sign up for a free Zoom account here: http://zoom.us/signup. As cases of censorship have grown more widespread throughout the U.S., the Library has kicked off a year-long celebration of banned books – #WPFreedomToRead – that started during Banned Books Week (September 18-24 2022.) The Library’s celebration of banned books will feature a variety of programs for adults, teens, and children throughout the year. Join us at the Trove for
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December 16, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, banned books, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, book discussion for teens, books for children, and juvenile fiction.

Grab & Go Kit: YearCompass Journal

Grab & Go Kit: YearCompass Journal

All kits have been taken. If you'd like to print out your own copy or complete a digital version, visit YearCompass here. Reflect on the past 12 months with YearCompass, a journaling activity looking back on the last year, and working on planning your year ahead. Grab & Go Kits including one printout booklet and a colored pen will be available on a table in the lobby starting Wednesday (12/14) afternoon. Supplies are limited and available first-come, first served.  
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December 14, 2022 10:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: journaling, new year's resolutions, and YearCompass.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 4

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 4

The Library has a lovely collection of bilingual Spanish/English books. To celebrate reading in two languages, we will be featuring our beautiful new books in a blog – so enjoy practicing your Spanish and English skills with these picture books. La Biblioteca tiene una colección hermosa de libros bilingües en inglés/español. Para celebrar leyendo en dos idiomas, le estaremos presentando nuestros lindos libros aquí. Así que disfrute practicando sus destrezas en ambos idiomas con estos libros ilustrados. El niño de maíz / The Boy of Maize, by Mario Bencastro. Library Catalog Inspirado en el mito maya de la creación, este
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December 14, 2022 9:20 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Bilingual, Bilingual books, books for children, picture books, spanish books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

This Month in the Edge

This Month in the Edge

This month, we have several activities going on in the Edge. Drop-in activities will be available during Edge hours all through the month of December. Scheduled programs take place at specific times, linked below. Please join us for one or all! Drop-in Activities: Holiday Cards Make holiday cards for your family and friends. We've got all the card-making supplies you'll need, plus some video tutorials for making cards to celebrate various winter holidays. A holiday card example is featured above. Gift Wrapping We've set up a gift wrapping station with wrapping paper and ribbon. We sourced our supplies secondhand from
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December 12, 2022 10:08 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Observances and Holidays, teen programs, and The Edge.

Genealogy: Leaving a Legacy

Genealogy: Leaving a Legacy

Genealogy: Leaving a Legacy: Telling your Ancestors So Your Family Will Listen Thursday, December 8th 7:00–8:00 p.m. Click here to register for this Zoom program. You have invested countless hours documenting your family tree. Now learn different techniques and methods to tell your ancestors’ stories so they will be passed down and enjoyed by future generations. Presented by Genealogist Sarah Gutmann.
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November 22, 2022 1:30 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: genealogical research, genealogy, genealogy workshop, genealogy workshops in westchester, genealogy workshops in White Plains, local history, and Sarah Gutmann.

New in the Edge

New in the Edge

One of the best parts of my job is ordering new books for the Edge–reading the reviews, seeing what popular authors come up with next, or finding out about an upcoming sequel to an old favorite. Read on to find out about some of the new YA fiction titles coming to our shelves this month. How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow Grades 9 and up Library Catalog “Queer Jewish love stubbornly blooms despite the cold of a Washington, D.C., winter. Fresh off a cataclysmic first semester of college, Shani is determined to pass her winter break internship
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November 22, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: new books, new in the Edge, staff picks, staff recommendations, YA Fiction, and YA literature.

Edge Advisory Board

Edge Advisory Board

Edge Advisory Board Grades 7-12 Saturdays, 11:00 – 11:55 a.m. – February 11, March 11, and April 1 Edge Media Lab Teens in grades 7 – 12 are invited to join an advisory board to help shape the future of the Edge. The board will help plan and organize Edge programming, among another initiatives. Teens may earn community service for meaningful participation. Please contact Kathlyn Carroll at kcarroll@whiteplainslibrary.org with any questions.
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November 21, 2022 11:37 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Edge Advisory Board, events for teens in Westchester, programs for teens, and The Edge.

Crafts for the Holidays (Gr. 7-12)

Crafts for the Holidays (Gr. 7-12)

Crafts for the Holidays Grades 7-12 Thursdays, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. – December 1, 8, 15 Edge Media Lab Stop by and make a craft to celebrate the winter holidays. We'll have supplies to make holiday cards, tiny watercolor paintings, and snowflake window decorations. This event is open to grades 7 and up on a first come, first served basis.
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November 21, 2022 11:32 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: arts and crafts for teens, events for teens in Westchester, programs for teens, and The Edge.

Opening of Optimum Technology Room

Opening of Optimum Technology Room

This morning, the Library hosted a ribbon cutting for our new Optimum Technology Room, which uses Igloovision, software that provides an immersive experience. Imagine being in a room in which the walls serve as your computer display, effectively putting you inside a wrap-around 12k television. Or think of a room as a giant walk-in Virtual Reality (VR) headset, except one in which the immersive experience can be shared with one or more others. This is the concept behind the Igloo, an immersive workspace created by Igloovision. Any kind of digital content can be shown on the walls of an Igloo:
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November 16, 2022 11:08 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: Altice, Optimum Technology Room, press release, technology, and white plains library.

December Tweens Talk Banned Books

December Tweens Talk Banned Books

Tweens Talk Banned Books Grades 4-6 December 15th at 4:30-6:00 p.m. Virtual Registration required. Register here. Note: All of our youth-focused virtual programs require a registered Zoom account to attend. Sign up for a free Zoom account here: http://zoom.us/signup. As cases of censorship have grown more widespread throughout the U.S., the Library has kicked off a year-long celebration of banned books – #WPFreedomToRead – that started during Banned Books Week (September 18-24 2022.) The Library’s celebration of banned books will feature a variety of programs for adults, teens, and children throughout the year. Join us at the Trove for a
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November 16, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, banned books, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, book discussion for teens, books for children, and juvenile fiction.

December Book Bunch

December Book Bunch

Thursday, December 22nd at 4:30 p.m. Click here to register for our Book Bunch Join Caroline for a book discussion and trivia game for 4th through 8th graders! We will be reading Stargazing by Jen Wang. This is a perfect read to celebrate the holiday season. Stargazing is a graphic novel by Jen Wang. The book is about a friendship between two Chinese American girls Christine and Moon. Soon the two girls become best friends and share their favorite books and videos, and confide in each other. When Moon tells Christine a secret (that she has visions from celestial beings),
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November 15, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book bunch, book discussion, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, and The Trove.

Celebrate December Holidays (younger kids)

Celebrate December Holidays (younger kids)

The White Plains Public Library is offering a variety of programs celebrating the December holidays this year – we hope you can come and join us! Author Visit & Storytime: Hanukkah Nights Ages 2-6, Families Friday, 11:00 a.m. – December 2 Join author, artist and children’s book creator Amalia Hoffman in celebrating a colorful and creative Hanukkah with her new book Hanukkah Nights! More details can be found here. Hanukkah Grab & Go Kit Available in the Library Lobby starting Monday, December 12 at 10:00 a.m. while supplies last. Hanukkah-themed Grab & Go kits for children in Kindergarten through 3rd
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November 12, 2022 10:12 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Activities for children in Westchester, activities for children in White Plains, children's events, Christmas, December 2022, Feliz Navidad, Hanukkah, holidays, kids, Kwanzaa, performances, programs, Shabe Yalda, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

#WPFreedomToRead Challenge

#WPFreedomToRead Challenge

“I'll be absolutely candid and honest, it's embarrassing that we are banning books in this country, in this culture, in this day and age.” – LeVar Burton As part of our year-long celebration of banned and challenged books, adults and teens are invited to join our #WPFreedomToRead Challenge. It's fun! It's easy! There are prizes! Yes, YOU could win a Kindle Paperwhite or other bookish prize! All you need to do is read banned or challenged books and log what you've read in READsquared. Each banned or challenged book you read and log earns you an entry in our prize
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November 11, 2022 1:51 pm | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, banned books, reading challenge, and ReadSquared.

December Programs for Younger Kids

December Programs for Younger Kids

Great programs for younger children take place all month long, every month, at the Library.  See our online calendar or stop in the Trove for location information. Holiday PreK Grab & Go Kits Available throughout December – More information here. Storytime! Ages 2-6, Families Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. – December 6, December 20, December 27 Thursdays, 11:00 a.m. – December 1, December 15, December 29 Saturday, 2:00 p.m. – December 3 Stories, songs and fun with a Trove Librarian. Following Storytime on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the children and caregivers are invited to Toy Time in the Story Trove – a time
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November 10, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Activities for children in Westchester, activities for children in White Plains, children's events, dance, December 2022, kids, live music, music, performances, programs, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.